The Apple Fell Far

King David and his son King Solomon are two of the most influential and well-known figures of 

the Bible associated with some legendary and monumental events in the history of the world and the 

Jewish and Christian faiths.  However, despite their father-son relationship, the apple fell far from the 

tree when it came to these two.  David, for instance, was a brilliant, violent military leader as 

Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths states a few times in chapter three.  The Bible concurs with our book 

saying, “Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in 

the army” (1 Samuel 18:5).  Solomon, on the other hand, was a “man of peace” (Armstrong 43).  This is 

a fairly obvious difference, but by diving deeper, more differences reveal themselves.  

David is known as the quintessential “warrior-poet.”  He is of course famous for killing the massive Philistine Goliath (1 Samuel 17).  He is also known by many as the “great psalmist,” as one of the most prolific authors of the Psalms in the Old Testament.  His psalms are self-reflective, deep works of poetry crying out to his Lord for guidance and other things.  This writing is beautiful and thought-provoking.  Solomon is also responsible for the authorship of a book in the Bible.  In fact, he wrote a few.  The most prominent is the book of Proverbs.  Unlike the book of Psalms, Proverbs contains to-the-point, practical advice for the everyday life of a believer in God.  Solomon does not concern himself with melodies or rhythms as his father does.  In another one of Solomon’s works, he ventures into poetry, but in the form of a borderline erotic love poem in Song of Songs.  Finally, Solomon’s book Ecclesiastes outlines his struggles with the love of the material things the world offers.  He describes his deep challenge trying to find meaning in life even saying at one point that he “hated life” because all of his work was “meaningless”  (Ecclesiastes 2:17).  This differs greatly from David’s belief that the Lord “knitted [him] in [his] mother’s womb” and “fearfully and wonderfully made” him (Psalm 139:13-14).

The writings and histories of both David and Solomon abound, but we can also learn so much about these two from their own writings.  David is said to have been a man “after [God’s] own heart,” and we can understand why from reading through his psalms (1 Samuel 13:14).  It is evident that his heart and soul yearn to be in a relationship with the Lord.  Solomon, on the other hand, was blessed with so much wisdom that God said  “‘that there will never have been anyone like [him], nor will there ever be’” (1 Kings 3:12).  Certainly both are good qualities, but very different.  These two kings led a life of incredible influence in their own ways.  It only adds to the drama that they were father and son.